


Best Laid Plans

by Maya_Koppori



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Gen, High School AU, M/M, Promposal, and oblivious, kallias is bad at this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 18:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12018333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maya_Koppori/pseuds/Maya_Koppori
Summary: Kallias tries to ask Erasmus to prom. And then he tries again. And again.





	Best Laid Plans

Kallias considered himself to be a meticulous planner. He liked plans and the security they afforded- a trait he probably picked up from Mr. deVere, if he was being honest with himself- and he liked the process of making them. The best part of any plan was the feeling of satisfaction when it was carried through to completion, knowing that he was the one who made it happen. 

The potential downfall of having plans, however, was the one variable that Kallias could never manipulate; the opportunity to implement them. 

“What about right after lunch?” Aden asked. “Everyone will be clearing out and you can do it quietly.”

Kallias flipped upside down on his couch, hanging off the end and glaring at the opposite wall as if it could solve his problems. “That's not  _ romantic,”  _ he complained. “And there will still be too many people.”

“Dude, prom is literally one week away. You're running out of time.”

“You think I don't know that?” Kallias snapped. 

“Then you need to just ask him!”

“I. Have. Tried. I can never get him alone, and I can't just  _ ask  _ him to go somewhere alone with me. That's so- so-”

“Practical. The word you're looking for is practical.” Aden sighed and reached for the bowl of popcorn, only to find it empty. “Can I make more?”

Kallias waved his hand to indicate how little he cared at this point, and Aden took the bowl back to the kitchen. “It's not practical if he freaks out on me and I don't get the chance to ask him properly.”

Aden didn't reply immediately, and Kallias closed his eyes to think. There were so many things that could go wrong if he wasn't careful with this. The last thing he wanted was for this to end up like-

“ _ Shit  _ bro, you're not going to get to ask him at all if you don't do something soon,” Aden called. 

“I have a plan,” Kallias insisted as the sounds of popping corn came from the kitchen. 

Aden snorted. “Right. Step one: Pine hardcore for your best friend (besides me.) Step two: Finally ask out said dude. Step three: Have a billion gay babies together. Success.”

Kallias jerked and screamed as he somersaulted off the couch. He came up spluttering and red in the face. “ _ Aden!” _ he whined. 

The only response he got was laughter. “Tomorrow, man. It'll go without a hitch, you'll see.”

* * *

 

Three. That was how many times Kallias tried and failed to ask Erasmus to prom that morning. He tried before school started, intent on catching Erasmus before he got inside, but got cut off by the marching band on their way for morning practice. By the time Kallias was able to cut through the woodwinds, Erasmus was long gone. 

He was sure it was the perfect moment when they were leaving Mr. deVere’s history class. He even got ahead of Erasmus so he could be casually waiting for him, but somehow Coach Damen managed to block the entire doorway on his way to pester Mr. deVere. There was no way Erasmus would have the nerve to ask him to move. His heart sinking, Kallias retreated once again. 

In a feat of desperation, Kallias even tried Aden’s lunch plan. But of course, because the universe wanted to see him suffer, two of the tables on either side of them started a damn food fight. Erasmus ran for the hills. Kallias let his head fall slowly to the table while mashed potatoes flew over his head and tried not to cry. 

By the end of the day, Kallias had decided that it just wasn't going to happen. He was on the steps by the school’s side entrance, veritably moping while he skipped his last class. He was done. Over it. Maybe he could move to another country and start a new life. Maybe NASA would let him man a solo mission to Mars. Maybe-

“Torveld is gonna ask him out!”

Kallias looked up so fast his neck popped. Aden stood above him, looking like he'd just run a marathon. “What?”

“Torveld? Senior? Student council president’s brother? I heard from Isander that he's going to ask Erasmus to prom as soon as class gets out. A class I faked sick to get out of and tell you, by the way, so you're fucking welcome.”

Kallias blinked up at him until Aden groaned and hauled him up by the strap of his backpack. “Go, you idiot,  _ go. Now!” _

So Kallias ran. He dropped his backpack with Aden and sprinted back up the stairs. Class ended in five minutes, but he knew by now that Ms. Vannes always released her last class early. 

Sure enough, when he finally rounded the corner of the bank of lockers near the science classrooms, Erasmus and Torveld were already talking together softly in the empty hallway. Erasmus’s cheeks were pink, his eyes downcast as he clutched his notebook to his chest. He was smiling. 

Kallias hesitated. If this was what Erasmus wanted…

Torveld raised a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat loudly. 

… oh hell, he could just forget that line of thought. He couldn't just sit idly by without even confessing. Throwing every piece of his plan, every word of his prepared speeches to the wind, Kallias rushed forward. “Erasmus!”

Erasmus jumped, but once he turned and saw who was calling for him his smile grew. “Kallias,” he said warmly. “There you are! I went to look for you, but you weren't in class.” His voice took on a teasing tone. “Were you skipping  _ again?  _ You can't spend every period sitting in on Mr. deVere’s class, you know.”

“I-” Kallias swallowed thickly. “I know. You're right. Sorry.”

Erasmus’s expression softened. “I wasn't mad, Kal. I'm just glad you're here.”

“Yeah,” Torveld agreed. He smiled disarmingly at Kallias and edged a step closer to Erasmus, a hand coming up to rest on top of his backpack. Kallias’s blood ran cold. 

“I wanted to ask,” he began, but Erasmus shocked him by holding up a hand to quiet him. His pretty face was as serious as Kallias had ever seen it, but was awash in a bright red flush.

“I want to say something first,” he said. He seemed to falter, but Torveld nudged him gently and Erasmus found his voice again. He straightened his back and looked Kallias in the eye before saying, “Please go to prom with me, Kallias.”

Kallias gaped. He was pretty sure his mouth was actually hanging open. He looked from Erasmus to Torveld and back to Erasmus, who in spite of his steady request was still blushing furiously. 

“Say yes?” Torveld suggested. “It took him two weeks to work himself up to this.”

“Torveld!” Erasmus swatted at the older boy’s arm without looking. He was scanning Kallias’s face, searching for an answer. As if there was any doubt. 

Kallias laughed. It was a short, strangled thing that started in his chest and fell as soon as it left his lips. “Of course,” he breathed. “I've been- that was mine, too.” 

Erasmus understood his jilted speech. He always had. His smile became blinding as he threw his arms around Kallias’s neck in excitement. “I'm glad,” he whispered into his shoulder. 

Not willing to let go, Kallias still looked up when he heard Aden snickering nearby. He raised an eyebrow at his friend, a gesture that said, approximately, “What the fuck was that?”

Aden stared back at him, all wide-eyed innocence. “I'm sorry, did I say Torveld was asking Erasmus to prom? I meant to say that he was  _ helping  _ Erasmus ask  _ you  _ to prom. My bad, bro.”

Erasmus shook with laughter in his arms, and Kallias decided that just this once, he was glad that somebody else had made his plans for him.    
  



End file.
